Local organization to host open house

Wednesday

Dec 5, 2012 at 6:30 AM

By Ashley Bergner Newton Kansan

Heart to Heart Child Advocacy Center is celebrating a special milestone today: The organization has earned re-accreditation status from the National Children’s Alliance.The National Children’s Alliance has awarded re-accreditation to Heart to Heart following an extensive application and site review process. As the accrediting agency for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, the National Children’s Alliance awards various levels of accreditation and membership to centers that respond to reports of child abuse. Accredited Children’s Advocacy Centers must undergo a re-accreditation process every five years.“Primarily it means that we will maintain the highest service that we have done for the past five years,” said Marlene Lemmer Beeson, executive director of Heart to Heart.Heart to Heart is hosting a re-accreditation open house from 4 to 6 p.m. today at the center (702 N. Main in Newton). The public is invited to help the organization celebrate during this come-and-go reception.Heart to Heart opened a center in Newton in 2001 and now has two child advocacy and forensic interviewing centers, one in Newton and the other in McPherson and serves Harvey, Marion and McPherson counties. Heart to Heart was first accredited by the National Children’s Alliance in 2007.“As an organization and team of individuals dedicated to responding to child abuse, we recognize the importance of maintaining the ‘accredited’ status. Re-accreditation not only validates our organization’s dedication to proven effective approaches of child abuse intervention and prevention, but also contributes to consistency across the child advocacy center movement as a whole,” said Beeson.For more information about Heart to Heart, visit www.hearttoheartcac.com.